Library = The Heart of the School
I have a contagious enthusiasm for my love of reading. Most boys are placed in my class because of their dislike of reading, and I have an almost 100% success rate in turning that dislike into a love. Each year I teach 60 kids Language Arts and Literature. And each year, 60 kids leave my 5th grade classroom excited about their summer reading, some excited about it for the first time. Finding the right book for the right kid and using my knowledge of books, allows me the pleasure of finding those matches for my students. As a school librarian I can affect waaaay more than 60 kids each year.
My mom always said I could sell ice to Eskimos. Often I feel just like that when I am giving one of my famous booktalks; I’m selling ice to Eskimos! The kids seem to hang on every word and always want more, anxiously recording the books they like on their “someday lists”. I even infiltrate our school lunches with booktalks. Sometimes, I'm even met with a standing ovation (but I think it's because a crazy, fun activity always accompanies my booktalks). I envision myself, as the school librarian, eventually giving the booktalks on our school-wide broadcast system. Parents of former students say their kids miss my booktalks. As a librarian I can chat with many more kids each and every day, for several years in a row. My booktalks are now on my infamous Glog.
Throughout my grad school classes I've been a sponge soaking in water! Except I've been soaking up tech ideas, ways to sell the library collection, ways to reach more readers, organize and weed books so the collection stays useful and on trend and, oh, so much more.
Basically, I feel like the library is the heart of the school, the steam engine of the train, the gas in the car. When the library functions, so can the school. Programs can be offered to a few that can share with even more people! But if your library/librarian is stagnant then your school will be as well.
I'll leave you with my final metaphor... As the old proverb says, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Well, I'd like to teach a few kids and teachers how to fish....
My mom always said I could sell ice to Eskimos. Often I feel just like that when I am giving one of my famous booktalks; I’m selling ice to Eskimos! The kids seem to hang on every word and always want more, anxiously recording the books they like on their “someday lists”. I even infiltrate our school lunches with booktalks. Sometimes, I'm even met with a standing ovation (but I think it's because a crazy, fun activity always accompanies my booktalks). I envision myself, as the school librarian, eventually giving the booktalks on our school-wide broadcast system. Parents of former students say their kids miss my booktalks. As a librarian I can chat with many more kids each and every day, for several years in a row. My booktalks are now on my infamous Glog.
Throughout my grad school classes I've been a sponge soaking in water! Except I've been soaking up tech ideas, ways to sell the library collection, ways to reach more readers, organize and weed books so the collection stays useful and on trend and, oh, so much more.
Basically, I feel like the library is the heart of the school, the steam engine of the train, the gas in the car. When the library functions, so can the school. Programs can be offered to a few that can share with even more people! But if your library/librarian is stagnant then your school will be as well.
I'll leave you with my final metaphor... As the old proverb says, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Well, I'd like to teach a few kids and teachers how to fish....